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| Education
in Grampian |
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| Education
facilities in Grampian have a world-wide reputation
for quality and innovation.
Four Nobel prizes have been awarded
to Aberdeen’s research and academic institutes
and five of Grampian’s secondary schools
were rated in the top 20 of the best secondary
schools in Scotland, in an independent newspaper
poll.
Every child resident in Scotland
has a right to a free place at school. Parents
are legally responsible for ensuring that their
children are educated. Children normally enter
school in the autumn term when they are aged between
four-and-a-half and five-and-a-half years old.
If they attend a local authority
primary school, they will normally follow a seven-year
programme of education before transferring to secondary
school in the autumn term when they are between
eleven-and-a-half and twelve-and-a-half.
You can be assured that when you
choose education in Aberdeen, you're choosing
some of the very best institutions, resources
and teachers that Britain has to offer.
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| How
the school system works |
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In Scotland, all three and four
year olds are entitled to a free, part-time pre-school
place. Local authorities work in partnership with
the private and voluntary sector to secure this.
The funded hours are usually delivered over five
sessions per week (each of around 2.5 hours) over
the school year, although some authorities do
have slightly different arrangements and a few
providers cannot always offer the full five sessions
a week.
To find your nearest facility,
go to www.childcarelink.gov.uk
or call free on 08000 96 02 96. |
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The 5-14 curriculum takes children
through primary school and the first two years
of secondary school. The school curriculum in
Scotland is non-statutory and responsibility for
its management and delivery rests with education
authorities and schools. However, overall the
Scottish Executive sets strategic direction.
The 5-14 curriculum covers the
five broad subject areas of:
- mathematics and language
- environmental studies
- expressive arts
- religious and moral education
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Although Scotland has no national
curriculum for the 14-16 age group, schools are
expected to follow certain guiding principles.
For most S3-S4 pupils the core curriculum includes
study within each of the following areas:
- languages and communication
- mathematical studies and applications
- scientific studies and applications
- social and environmental studies
- technological activities and
applications
- creative and aesthetic activities
- physical education
- religious and moral education
For most pupils, S3 and S4 are
the years when they take Standard Grade courses.
In some schools, however, some or all S3 and S4
pupils take National Qualification courses.
In S5 and S6, most students will
be pursuing courses of a more specialised nature,
relating to personal interest, future employment
or entry to further or higher education. Local
authorities hold information on courses offered
at schools within their area. |
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Further education colleges provide
education for people who are older than 16 years.
There are currently 46 further education colleges
in Scotland. Courses are available at a range
of levels and cover a variety of subjects - some
of which are traditional academic subjects, such
as English or History, while others are more vocational,
such as Catering or Tourism. Entrance requirements
vary, but most courses require some previous education
qualifications.
Aberdeen College is the largest
further education institute in Scotland, servicing
over 30,000 students annually. Courses are delivered
in a range of formats from full-time to part-time
or College to community based. The College has
built a strong reputation on its state of the
art facilities and progressive attitudes to further
education. For more information, log on to www.abcol.ac.uk |
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Higher education institutions
in Scotland provide education for people of 17
years of age and over. There are currently 21
higher education institutions, which provide a
full selection of courses at sub-degree, degree
and postgraduate levels.
Aberdeen's higher education and
research facilities are internationally respected
- particularly with regard to medicine, agriculture,
life sciences, management and related disciplines.
It is home to two universities - the University
of Aberdeen and The Robert Gordon University.
It also has six research institutes. Of the city's
25,000 graduates each year, many are skilled in
the disciplines of engineering, geophysics, IT
and management, reflecting the strength of these
sectors in Aberdeen.

The University of Aberdeen
was founded by Bishop William Elphinstone in 1495
and is the third oldest university in Scotland
and the fifth oldest in the UK. Today, with almost
11,000 students, and nearly 3,000 staff, it is
at the forefront of teaching and research in medicine,
the humanities and sciences.
The Robert Gordon University has
earned a formidable reputation for providing high
quality vocational education and research, the
success of which is reflected in an outstanding
record of graduate employment. The University
currently has approximately 9,000 students studying
over 145 full-time, part-time and sandwich courses
at undergraduate, post-experience and postgraduate
levels. In addition, the University continues
to be a leader in the field of e-learning via
the Virtual Campus and award-winning Faculty Intranets.
Students can complete an ordinary
(or general) degree in 3 years (full-time) or
an Honours degree in 4 years (full-time) in most
subject areas. Degree courses in architecture,
medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine take
5 or 6 years.
Many higher education institutions
offer courses on a part-time basis and also by
open or distance learning. This provides an opportunity
for those who may wish to combine studies with
work or other commitments.
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| Choosing
a school for your children |
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are around 213 primary schools (most of which
offer nursery education) and 29 secondary schools
in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Five of the secondary
schools in the area are rated in the top 20 of
the best secondary schools in Britain as listed
in the Sunday Times Newspaper in 2002. The region
also has 44 special needs units, bases and schools.
Most secondary schools offer a
six-year programme of education. All children
must complete at least four years of secondary
education. The majority of young people stay on
to complete a fifth and sixth year at secondary
school.
The Scottish Executive has created
an excellent online resource for parents called
Parentzone. Parentzone (www.ngflscotland.gov.uk)
provides information on school term dates, education
authority contacts, educational resources and
many other useful topics.
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Local
Education Authority Schools |
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Places in schools run by the local
authority are free to all school pupils and are
normally offered on the basis of designated catchment
areas. Parents also have a right to request a
place at a school other than their local catchment
area school and can do this by submitting a 'placing
request' to their education authority. |
International
School of Aberdeen |
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The International School of Aberdeen
has been serving the international community in
the area since 1972. The school is open to both
local and expatriate children and offers the International
Baccalaureate Certificate and Diploma Programme,
a prestigious and internationally accepted qualification
for access to universities world-wide. It has
been designed to accommodate varied educational
needs and currently serves over 30 student nationalities.
The International School of Aberdeen
296 North Deeside Road
Aberdeen
AB13 0AB
Tel: +44 (0) 1224 732267
www.isa.abdn.sch.uk
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Some parents want their children
to be educated in a denominational school and
provision is therefore made for state denominational
schools in Scotland. The majority of these schools
are Roman Catholic. Denominational schools are
run in the same way as other education authority
schools, except that teachers appointed to denominational
schools must be approved by the denominational
body concerned. |
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Scotland has nine centres of excellence
allowing gifted children to maximise their potential,
both academically and with regard to their particular
talents. These centres offer a specific focus
on a child's gift, whether it be music, sport,
dance or language.
See the Scottish Executive's Parentzone
website for more details www.ngflscotland.gov.uk
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Gaelic medium education is well
established at pre-school and primary school level,
and there is growing provision at secondary and
further education level. The provision of Gaelic
medium education, like all education provision
in Scotland, is determined by demand for the service
balanced with the educational and economic viability
of each educational unit.
A comprehensive guide on Gaelic
education is available from:
The Education Officer
Comunn na Gàidhlig
5 Mitchells Lane
Inverness
IV2 3HQ
Tel: +44 (0) 1463 234 138
Email: ailean@cnag.org.uk |
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Parents have a legal responsibility
to provide education for their child. The majority
of parents choose to fulfil this duty by sending
their child to a local education authority school,
but parents can also choose to provide education
at home. Local authorities still have a responsibility,
however, to ensure that the child is receiving
a suitable education and have a duty to enforce
school attendance if they are unsatisfied with
the education that is being provided at home.
Further information on home education
can be obtained from:
Education Otherwise
PO Box 7420
London N9 9SG
Tel: +44 (0) 1283 532 547
Email: enquiries@education-otherwise.org
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Independent
and Special Schools |
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There are two kinds of fee-paying
schools in Scotland: independent schools and grant-aided
special schools. Independent schools look after
their own day-to-day affairs, but are subject
to inspection to ensure they maintain acceptable
standards of education. Grant-aided schools provide
for a wide range of special educational needs.
For more information on independent
schools in Scotland, contact:
Scottish Council of Independent
Schools
21 Melville Street
Edinburgh
EH3 7PE
Tel: +44 (0) 131 220 2106
www.scis.org.uk
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